Chasing The Sun
by jul312
Summary: Five demigods embark on a quest to save Apollo when their world is plunged into endless winter. With a feud between a daughter of Ares and a son of Zeus and a new camper who claims he's the son of Hermes, the half-bloods have to try and put the past behind them in order to complete their quest. -No Percy Jackson-
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Summer Brooks

"Wait up, Summer!" A tall blonde called out to his friend, jogging over with a playful smirk plastered on his handsome face.

"I'm too hungry to wait any longer," The slightly shorter girl complained, throwing her blonde hair up into a high pony tail. The son of Hermes grinned in response and wiped away a bead of sweat from his brow. The two exited the training center as the sun slowly began to descend, signaling that it was time for dinner.

"It's so hot. Remind me why Chiron made us train today?" Will ran a hand through his hair and flashed Summer a smile, his usual teasing tone present in his voice.

Summer returned his smile, her blue eyes twinkling. If you asked her two years ago, the daughter of Apollo would have been dazzled by Will's charming smile. Now, the sixteen-year-old could confidently tell you that she was no longer in love with her best friend. He took a huge sip from his water bottle and immediately began to cough. Summer laughed as he dramatically gasped for air after trying to swallow too much water at once. Why had she ever been obsessed with this dork?

"We train _every_ day, Will, stop complaining." Summer slapped him hard on the back as he continued to cough and he lightly shoved her away. The summer campers had already come and gone, leaving only the demigods who stayed year-round at camp. A few campers straggled behind them, but the rest had already run ahead to get a place in line at the dining pavilion.

"It's not even that hot, it's already September."

"Easy for you to say, you're a daughter of Apollo. You can't get enough of the sun. Plus, you weren't out in the first round of the archery competition like I was." Will argued with her, fake pouting as he attempted to convince his friend that sitting on the sidelines _was_ in fact very hot.

"Don't remind me of that. I can't believe I didn't win." The corners of her mouth turned down as she recalled being beat by her older half-sister and head counselor of the Apollo cabin, Lila.

Lila was, to put it simply, gorgeous. Most people would assume she was the daughter of Aphrodite, but her archery skill and healing powers were attributed to Apollo. She and her boyfriend Alex, son of Ares, were the power couple around camp. They had probably been at camp the longest out of everyone and were turning eighteen soon.

Summer couldn't help it; she resented Lila. With Summer's tanned skin, blue eyes, and bleach blonde hair, she was basically the mini version of her half-sister. What made it worse was that Lila was super nice, not a mean bone in her body. Summer hated herself for thinking badly of someone who was so kind to her. It was hard to live in the shadow of a sibling, but she knew she wasn't the only demigod who felt that way.

"Don't worry about it, Brooks. She's just had more experience. You'll get 'em next time." Will automatically knew why she was upset. His smile dropped, and Summer felt bad for bringing down his mood.

"Come on, let's head to the dining pavilion. I'm starving." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. Summer rolled her eyes but couldn't fight back a blush as he walked her toward the rest of the campers.

* * *

"Have you seen the new camper?" A low voice caught Summer's attention. She turned around to see her friend Macy standing behind her, plump lips twisted into a mischievous grin. The pretty brunette was known for her stealthiness , and it didn't surprise Summer that she had come up behind her undetected.

"New camper?" The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as she looked around the dining pavilion. Macy cut in line in front of Summer to throw out her trash, shooting a glare at the young Hephaestus boy who tried to protest.

"Arrived earlier today. He's pretty old for a new camper, but I think he told Chiron that he already knew who his parent was." Macy shrugged, but Summer could tell that she was a bit concerned by the news. Macy hated how the daughters of Aphrodite constantly gossiped, so Summer knew she wouldn't be relaying this news for no reason.

The daughter of Apollo looked around the dining room, noticing the change in atmosphere as the news reached the campers. Most of the younger campers were oblivious, but the older ones knew that something was up. The new camper's arrival seemed unusual, and that wasn't a good thing when it came to demigods.

Will walked over, his face surprisingly serious. "You heard?" Both girls nodded in response.

Macy eased considerably as Will joined them. Ever since Summer introduced them, the two had become extremely close, but she didn't mind. Macy arrived at camp at the age of thirteen, while Summer and Will had been best friends since the age of eleven. When Summer first met Macy, she assumed from her natural skills in combat and brash personality that she was a daughter of Ares. It wasn't long before the brunette was claimed by her father. She fit in perfectly with Summer and Will, but it didn't mean that Summer didn't get jealous of the two from time to time. Although she tried not to let her insecurities show, Summer was nowhere near as confident as Macy and all other children of Ares seemed to be.

A shout from across the pavilion brought her out of her thoughts. Two of the Ares kids had taken their argument to the next level and began to wrestle on top of the table.

"Idiots. I'll be right back." Macy shook her head and rushed over to break up her half-brothers. Zach Maxwell rose up from his place at the Zeus table to help.

Will managed a laugh, making light of the tension around camp. "How much do you want to bet that Macy gets mad at Zach?" A smile spread across Summer's face as she thought of the rivalry between her friend and the son of Zeus. Macy differentiated from her siblings in the fact that she didn't have a short fuse, but there was something about Zach that brought out her Ares' temper. Probably because he was the only one who could match her in combat.

Will's dark blue eyes flickered in the dim lighting. "The campfire's starting soon. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping Chiron introduces this new guy. I'll catch you later." He turned and followed the crowd of campers heading toward the campfire, grinning and shouting as he met up with his siblings.

Macy appeared at Summer's side, her hair a bit ruffled from the fight. "You know, I don't think I'll ever believe you no matter how many times you say you don't like him anymore." Her big brown eyes glanced suspiciously at Summer's light ones as the latter stared at Will's retreating figure.

"You know I would tell you if I did. He's just my best friend." Summer responded seriously, keeping her voice low so the younger campers wouldn't listen in. Her words were true. Once they had turned fifteen and being girlfriend and boyfriend meant something more than a silly label, Summer decided to get over her silly crush. Macy snickered and agreed sarcastically, but decided not to press the issue further.

The sound of Summer's favorite campfire song grew louder as they walked toward the usual gathering place. The fire illuminated the dark night, changing colors to match the mood of the campers. It flickered from purple to golden, as if it was unsure of the general mood of the audience. Summer joined the Apollo cabin in leading the campfire song while Macy retreated into the shadows with her siblings.

Chiron stepped forward into the light of the fire and the campers quieted down very quickly.

A murmur came from the Ares cabin when he announced a game of capture the flag that would take place in a few days, but Summer was more interested in seeing the new camper.

A tall, attractive boy around seventeen took his place next to Chiron, and even the Ares cabin fell silent.

"Today, we welcome a new camper. Jasper, Son of Hermes."

Jasper was obviously not shy, considering he didn't react at all when all the campers stared at him in shock. Usually, new campers ranged anywhere from eight to thirteen years old. New demigods aged fourteen to fifteen were slightly less common, and any demigods over sixteen were either already in camp or dead before they even knew who they were.

And _no one_ ever came to camp already knowing who their parent was. The Hermes cabin was confused. Possibly because they had just gained a new sibling, and possibly because their new sibling looked absolutely nothing like them. Most of Will's siblings had the same sandy blonde hair, with the occasional red head. Jasper was extremely pale, with dark hair and icy blue eyes lighter than Summer's own.

She caught Will's eye from across the campfire. He looked confused, like most of his siblings, but he managed to send her a lopsided smile. One of Summer's younger half-brothers turned to her, taking her attention away from Will.

"Doesn't look like a Son of Hermes to me," Kurt raised an eye brow. She ruffled his hair and laughed in response.

"Yeah, well you don't exactly look like a son of Apollo," She acknowledged, referring to his dark orange, curly hair and freckly skin. He pushed her away in embarrassment like any other fourteen year old would.

The campers started to disperse as the fire dwindled. The younger kids headed back to the cabins, while the older campers met up with their friends. Summer looked around for Macy and Will, but instead someone else came up beside her.

"So, capture the flag, huh?"

Summer whipped around, pony tail flying behind her. "Yeah, it's kind of like a camp tradition. Happens every Friday."

Jasper shakes his head, eyebrows raised. "Camp is a lot different than I thought it would be."

Summer cocked her head to the side, eyebrows furrowed. "So you already knew about all of this?" She gestured to the camp around her.

The boy smirked and rand a hand through his short hair. "It's…kind of complicated. I'm Jasper, by the way. Son of Hermes." The way he changed the subject made Summer suspicious, but she went along with it anyways.

"Summer, daughter of Apollo."

"Macy, daughter of Ares." Her voice made Summer jump, and the next second she was beside her friend, a grin plastered on her face. Will was on his way over, and he didn't seem very happy.

"Nice to meet you, brother. I guess I'll see you back at the cabin." Will's voice was slightly frosty, completely different than his usual light tone. Jasper caught Summer's eye and looked between her and Will, one eyebrow raised at the unwelcoming presence of his half-brother.

"Alright, see you around." The boy nodded to the girls than left, finding his way through the dark.

Macy frowned. "What the hell was that, Will? You could be a bit more welcoming to the new camper. Especially one that's you're brother." Will shrugged, remaining tense and aloof.

"I'll see you guys later. I've got to talk to Chiron." He left in a hurry, leaving the two friends in confusion.

* * *

Will Myers

Will was tired, cranky, and annoyed, but most of all he was just confused. He didn't know how this kid could just show up and claim he was the child of Hermes, but he did, and it seemed like everyone just accepted it.

He knocked again on the door to the Big House, wondering where Chiron was. The door finally opened, and Chiron poked his head out.

"Will? The head counselor meeting isn't until the morning. It's almost time for lights out. You should head back to your cabin."

Will pushed his way past the door, entering the Big House. "I need to talk to you about Jasper."

The centaur sighed, reluctant to discuss their newest camper. "I have no choice but to believe him, Will. He was able to find camp and get through the boundaries, and even says that Hermes himself came to him when he was young. How else would he know about everything we do here?"

He felt a stab of jealousy. Hermes had gone to him? Will had been at camp since he was eleven years old and had never seen or heard from his father.

"That doesn't make any sense. How can you believe that?" Will argued, slamming his fist down on the nearest table.

Chiron shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm keeping a close eye on him, but that's about all I can do. I'm not going to kick him out of camp just because his background is suspicious. If you didn't realize already, none of you are normal."

Will remained silent, unsure how to argue against the head of camp and the man he respected more than his own father.

"Now, I suggest you go to bed. If you still feel this way after Jasper gets settled into camp, then we will talk. But for now, as head counselor of your cabin, I expect you to welcome your brother."

Expressing his annoyance in the only way he could, Will stomped out the door and slammed it behind him. No matter what anyone said, Will felt it in his bones that Jasper could not be trusted.

* * *

"I admit, I don't understand it," Macy confessed the next morning as they retrieved training dummies from the shed. "How is he allowed to just walk into camp and claim that he's your half-brother?"

Will sighed, "You and me both. Apparently Hermes visited him as a child. Seems like a load of bullshit to me."

Summer rolled her eyes as she slung a bag of bows over her shoulder. "Calm down, Will. Jealousy isn't a good look on you."

"I'm not jealous, I'm just not stupid enough to believe his intentions are innocent." Will protested, earning another eye roll from Summer.

"He's the same age as you and I. I doubt he's planning some evil scheme to take over the world." She retorted quickly, obviously annoyed at Will's bad attitude. They both turned to Macy, expecting her to take a side. The brunette threw a dummy out the door of the shed and into another camper's waiting arms before answering.

"Summer is just blind to suspicion because she thinks he's attractive." Macy shrugged, resulting in a scoff from Will and a blush from Summer.

"Let's just get these over to the arena." Will mumbled, picking up bags and making his way to the training ground.

A few minutes later he's stabbing at a straw dummy, taking out his anger. Normally, he didn't have such a temper, but he couldn't help but be protective over his friends and home. He wasn't sure about Macy, but he knew Summer trusted too easily. He couldn't help but be slightly upset that Summer trusted Jasper over Will. He knew that wasn't necessarily true, but she wouldn't even listen to him when he voiced his suspicions. Had her years dealing with the life of a demigod taught her nothing?

"Care to practice sword fighting with me?"

Speaking of the devil, Jasper himself stood next Will, a smug look on his face. Will grabbed his own sword and stood in front of his sibling, knuckles white from his tight grip.

"I guess I can go easy on you, considering it's your first day training." He replied, his own smile becoming smug at the prospect of beating Jasper.

The two brothers squared off, ready to duel. It was Jasper who struck first, taking Will off guard. Will blocked his attempt quickly, and then jabbed at his shoulder. Now, Will was certainly no expert at sword fighting, but Jasper should not have been able to move so quickly if he was only a beginner.

Jasper deflected his blow and spun around, colliding shoulders with Will and sending him to the ground. The latter looked up in surprise to find Jasper above him, holding a sword to his throat. He picked himself off the ground and glared at Jasper.

"You got lucky that time. Let's go again." Before he could ready himself for another fight, a short brunette stepped in between the two.

"What's gotten in to you Will? You aren't even properly dressed for a fight. If he accidentally cut you, I think Chiron would be more disappointed than sympathetic." Macy glared at the brothers, as if one look could knock some sense into them. It probably could, considering the small spitfire could intimidate someone a foot taller than her with just one look.

Will spat on the ground beside him before placing his sword back into his belt. "I'm going to lunch."

* * *

"She's mad at you, you know." Macy waltzed into Will's cabin as he pulled a clean shirt over his head. When he didn't respond, she continued. "Summer thinks that you should be more welcoming to Jasper."

"And?" Will questioned, clearly missing the point.

"And, I agree. You have been over the top with the hostility. Tone it down a bit, would you? I haven't seen you this moody since Becca from the Aphrodite cabin turned you down." Will grinned at this, remembering the way Macy yelled at the poor girl when she broke his fourteen year old heart.

"Okay, I get the point. But really, I am starving, so lunch comes first."

The pair left the Hermes cabin and made their way to the dining pavilion where many campers were arriving for lunch. He quickly spotted Summer's blonde ponytail, swishing behind her as she walked with Jasper.

Leaving Macy behind, he ran over and put his arm around her, ignoring the way she tensed up when she realized it was him.

"Hey, Jasper." He called, putting on a big smile for show. "How's it hanging?" Without waiting for a response, he steered his best friend toward the dining pavilion.

"What the hell?" Summer shoved him away, but made no move to leave. Will put on an innocent look, knowing that Summer couldn't stay mad at him for long.

"Come on, were going to get lunch and meet Macy by the beach." Her eyes lit up, and she couldn't refuse his offer of lunch in the sun. Her smile quickly faded, however, when she realized his motives.

"Stop trying to get me away from Jasper. Someone has to be welcoming!" She stomped her foot. Will rolled his eyes, his good mood quickly disappearing.

"It doesn't look like he's having much trouble making friends," Will nodded over to where they had left the so called son of Hermes, who was already laughing with a few guys from the Hephaestus cabin.

"Fine. He can come with us, and I'll try my best to be friendly. But I can't promise anything."

Summer grinned and motioned Jasper over. The dark haired boy locked eyes with Will over Summer's head, sending him the same smug look that he had earlier as she grabbed his hand. The atmosphere quickly got tense, but she didn't seem to notice as she dragged them over to the beach.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Macy Mitchell

Macy felt like she could finally relax and not have to worry about breaking up a fight. When the four of them arrived at the beach to eat lunch, the whole thing was just awkward. Clearly, Will knew as well as she did that Summer was about to fall head over heels for this new guy, and he obviously wasn't too happy. If Macy didn't know him any better, she might have assumed that he was jealous of the attention Jasper received from Summer, but she knew there was nothing but platonic feelings of protectiveness.

She could be wrong, but she usually wasn't.

The awkward atmosphere slowly subsided as Jasper began to actually talk and share information. Although he definitely avoided the subject of his father, the new camper shared stories of his life before Camp Halfblood that had even Will smiling.

Macy wasn't stupid. There was definitely something weird about Jasper's background, but most likely it wasn't anything threatening. Just a troubled past that he probably doesn't want to share with the whole camp.

"And that was how I got to New York. Pretty crazy how I managed to find the camp, but I made it here eventually." Jasper concluded another tale, shooting Macy a smile as she was brought out of her daydream by his words. It wasn't that Jasper was boring, but Macy had a short attention span when came to anything that wasn't _doing_. Talking was cool and all, but she preferred action.

Summer practically hung on Jasper's every word. Macy didn't understand what her best friend found so fascinating about a small run in with a minor monster, but then again, Summer had never fought a monster outside of the forest surrounding Camp Halfblood. Will's sour look had returned as Summer and Jasper launched into another conversation. Macy took the chance to steal Will's attention, motioning him over to sit beside her.

"Jealous much?" She smirked. Will rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth turned up a little as she teased him.

"I admit, he's not as bad as I assumed. I still don't really trust him, but he hasn't done anything bad so far." He shrugged, glancing over at the other two.

"Maybe you'll get a chance to fight him again. You know, assert your dominance and all that other stuff. Especially since he took you down right away this morning."

Will was not amused when Macy brought up their fight earlier. "I wasn't really warmed up, that's all."

Macy's smirk turned into a frown as she thought back to this morning. "Seriously, you can't just randomly fight people out of jealousy. Neither of you had on armor or anything, it was stupid and dangerous."

The son of Hermes couldn't keep the smile off his face as Macy attempted to lecture him on safety.

"You sound like Zach," Will teased her, knowing it would get under her skin. "Talking about rules and safety."

Macy launched herself at Will, hating how he compared her to Zach. Zach Maxwell was the representation of a stuck up, goody-two-shoes demigod who ruined _everything_. Because she wasn't _trying_ to actually hurt him, Will was able to move out of the way easily, twisting his lanky body so Macy sailed harmlessly past him.

"One more word from you and I'll dunk you in the ocean." She warned. Her eyes were teasing, but she was actually completely serious. Will tactfully kept his mouth shut, but sent Macy a wink that she ignored.

Summer cut into their conversation with a huge smile, lighting up her eyes and highlighting her pretty features. "I was just telling Jasper about capture the flag."

Macy nodded, flashing the slightly confused Jasper her signature smirk. "Tomorrow is Ares, Apollo, Demeter, and Hermes against the rest of the cabins."

"So we're all on the same team?" Jasper asked with a smile that seemed unnatural on his cold and calculating face. Macy was beginning to see why Will was so put off at first, and she shivered as he turned his gaze to her.

Summer's grin grew bigger as she came to the same conclusion as Jasper. "Oh, I didn't even think of that!" The blonde quickly glanced at the watch on her wrist and Macy craned her neck to see the time as well.

"I better get going. I'm teaching the younger campers' archery class in ten." She sighed, shooting the three others an apologetic look.

"I'm coming with you," Will flashed his usually charismatic grin, and Macy fought the urge to smile back. "You probably need as much help as you can get." The pair said their goodbyes, laughing as they turned their backs to us.

Jasper turned to Macy, offering a hand to help her get up. She took it to be polite, but regretted it as soon as she felt how cold his hand was.

"Summer told me you're quite the fighter," Jasper raised an eyebrow. "I look forward to seeing you in action tomorrow."

Her lips curled into a cruel smirk as she imagined herself standing over her 'arch nemesis' Zach from the Zeus cabin, glaring at her as she grinned, triumphant. Summer would say she was getting a bit carried away, but she hadn't had a chance to beat him in so long and she couldn't wait until tomorrow.

"Look for the camper holding the flag," she hinted, referring to herself. Her sneaky smile made an appearance and she wiggled her fingers at Jasper before leaving him standing alone by the beach.

Zach Maxwell

"So what's the deal with him, Chiron?" Zach pestered the centaur again, leaning forward in his chair. Chiron continued to shuffle papers at his desk his back to the curious boy in his office in an attempt to ignore him.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I have no more information than you do about Jasper." The edge to Chiron's voice did not dissuade Zach, and he continued on with an eager look.

"You say that he claims Hermes came to him. How can you believe that? It doesn't make any sense!"

A ghost of a smile came across Chiron's lips as he stared down at the papers shuffled across his desk. "Funny, that's exactly what his new half-brother said."

Zach rolled his eyes, standing up and taking a step closer toward Chiron. "Who, Will? I don't blame him for being suspicious too. I'm sure he's terribly jealous that his dad decided to visit one son but not the rest."

Chiron turned around, his face weary. "He's clearly a demi-god, Zach. Are you suggesting I throw him out of camp?"

"No! I just…" The son of Zeus trailed off, unsure of what point he was trying to make. "I promise to keep an eye on him."

Chiron nodded in response, a sign of dismissal. "Go help the others prepare for Capture the Flag. I'll be there soon."

Zach stood up; the legs of his chair scraped along the wooden floor as he forcefully pushed it back. The screen slammed behind him as he left, a bit harder than necessary, and he instantly felt bad. He had no right to be angry with Chiron-it was just his stupid need for order that fueled his desire to watch closely over the new camper.

* * *

"Macy!" Zach called out to the daughter of Ares, pushing through the crowd of campers gathered around in battle armor. "Is your team ready to be pulverized?"

It was tradition that Zach and Macy acted as Captains for their respective sides. On the rarity that they were on the same team, they ended up fighting anyway, so Chiron usually made sure the Zeus and Ares cabins were on opposing sides.

Her full lips turned into her signature smirk, and Zach found himself smirking back. Her cat-like eyes held a sort of crazed glare, but Zach wouldn't back down. She was a firecracker, for sure, and the best female fighter at camp, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Besides, it was fun to see her all wound up before a match. He stood right in front of her, peering down at the 5'3'' girl glaring up at him.

"Oh, please. With the Hermes cabin on my side, you'll be lucky to last half an hour." She retorted, her eyebrows dipping lower as her glare intensified. At this remark, Will strutted over to join the conversation, a mischievous look in his eyes that made Zach a tad nervous to see what he had up his sleeve.

"She's right, you know. You may have the Athena cabin on your side, but don't count on an easy victory." His smooth voice carried on the argument in amusement.

"Hold on a second," The head counselor of the Athena cabin stepped in, decked out head to toe in armor. "Don't count us out just yet." Shannon took off her helmet to reveal her messy bob and light eyes. She seemed serious, as always, but Zach knew it was friendly banter. Although he couldn't say the same for Macy, who appeared as if she might blow any minute. He may have been exaggerating a little bit, but she clearly didn't understand the meaning of a _friendly_ game of capture the flag.

Will slung an arm around Shannon and whispered something in her ear, causing her to roll her eyes and shove him backward. He staggered a bit before goofily saluting Macy and heading off to assemble his cabin. Shannon followed soon after, strapping on her helmet and grabbing a sword.

"Can't wait until it comes down to just you and me." Macy winks before gracefully slipping away, twirling knives between her fingers. Zach groaned inwardly, knowing it would be a hard fight if she was in possession of her knives. He hated to admit it, but she was lethal with the weapon and never missed. Thankfully she wouldn't be aiming to kill.

The campers split into their teams, each going to their side of the river. Zach made the game plan, leaving little room to argue. He sent the few children from the Poseidon cabin to the boundary line as first defense, knowing the river would greatly help their cause. The children of Athena were split up, some on offense and some on defense. Zach himself joined the defensive team, mostly because he knew Macy would be on the offensive. He looked forward to fighting her and showing her who was really the best at camp.

Once Chiron blew the horn signaling the start of the game, Zach began to doubt his decision. He forgot that Macy was the stealthiest out of all the Ares kids, and he wouldn't be surprised if she already passed him and was on her way to the flag.

Ten minutes and two captured opponents later, Zach slipped quietly between the trees, searching for movement in the darkening woods. His foot snapped a twig and he inwardly cursed, freezing his movements until he was positive no one else was around.

In his peripheral vision he spotted a flash of something dark, and his green eyes widened. He jumped out from behind a tree, his sword drawn, and came face to face with big brown eyes and a smirk.

A knife sailed centimeters past his head and embedded into the tree behind him. Without meaning to he took a step backwards in surprise. Her other knife was gripped firmly in her hand, but after assessing the situation, Zach wasn't too afraid. She couldn't do anything else with her knives besides spook him, because otherwise she would seriously injure him and be put on dish duty for a month.

Macy pulled off her helmet, shaking out her long ponytail. "I probably could have snuck past you, but I figured you were looking for a fight. Good thing I was too."

She lunged forward first, almost surprising him with her ferocity until he remember that this was _Macy_ after all. He stepped to the left, hoping her momentum would carry her past him, but she anticipated this and swung out her fist, nailing him in the jaw.

His face was thrown back and he backed up. Macy gave him a few seconds to recover before throwing herself forward again. This time, Zach was ready. He grabbed her fist and twisted her arm behind her back, causing her to fall against him in shock. He forgot about her other hand, though, and by the time he saw the flash of silver it was too late.

The tip of her knife scraped across his cheek. His own weapon swooped through the air, knocking the knife out of her hand. The daughter of Ares used his distraction to yank herself away from him, somehow gracefully twisting away on the uneven forest floor. Not meaning to be outdone, Zach stuck out his leg and swooped her feet out from underneath her. Macy tumbled to the ground, and Zach fell on top of her.

For a second, they were both dazed, but Macy recovered first and flipped herself on top. Most of dark her hair had come out of its ponytail and a trickle of blood trailed down her chin from her lip. He wasn't exactly sure when she cut up her face, but he was sure his own face wasn't much better. Zach could feel the warm blood smeared across his cheek and the sting of the cut, but he had had much worse.

Right as he was about to flip himself back on top, Macy's weight was suddenly thrown off of him. Her small yet muscular body was yanked backward and she yelped in surprise. Clearly she wasn't expecting another camper to come in between their fight, and neither was he. The camper who grabbed her sent her flying into a nearby tree, and she connected with it with a sickening crack.

"What the hell, dude?" Zach stood up, angrily pushing back the bulky son of Hecate who threw Macy against the tree. Judging by the amused smirk on his face, he thought it would be funny to send the other team's best fighter unconscious. Zach pushed him hard again, his anger taking over.

"It's not my fault she wasn't wearing a helmet!" The boy retorted, throwing his hands up.

"I don't care if you're on my team, she could be seriously hurt." His own words dawned on him, and he turned to Macy. She was slumped against the ground, her eyes closed and a huge gash across her forehead. "Go get Chiron and an Apollo kid and tell them to meet me back at the infirmary." The Hecate kid took off, realizing he didn't want to get on the bad side of the son of Zeus. The latter peeled off his armor, not wanting it weighing him down anymore.

Zach picked up Macy, grimacing as her head banged against his chest and smeared blood all over his t shirt. She would probably hate him even more if she found out he carried her back to camp, but he didn't dislike her that much that he would let her lie there on the ground until someone else came along. Promising himself that he would never speak of this again, he turned away from the battle and towards the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Summer Brooks

"What happened?" Summer demanded as she burst into the infirmary, Will by her side. Zach Maxwell looked up in surprise at the sudden intrusion, his green eyes wide.

"We were fighting, and she, uh-"

"I can speak for myself, thanks," Macy interrupted sarcastically, causing Zach to abruptly shut his mouth. "Anyway, some dipshit thought it would be fun to smash my head into a tree."

Summer fought the urge to laugh at her friend. She never thought she would see Macy in this position. The brunette was sitting up on a bed, her forehead heavily wrapped in a thick bandage and a sour look on her face. Macy had never been one to just _sit_, and it was probably killing her inside (although healing her on the outside).

Will shook his head in confusion. "Wait, Zach, you did this?" Summer looked on with a frown. She knew Zach and Macy enjoyed a little rivalry between them, but she didn't think he would go that far to hurt her.

"No!" The son of Zeus protested, his shaggy, curly head of hair flopping as he quickly shook his head.

"It was the idiot son of Hecate. I'm going to pummel him when I get out of here." Macy pouted.

"She hurt me more than I hurt her." Zach added in his defense, pointing to a gash on his cheek, and Macy's sour look turned into a grin.

"I wish I remembered that." She laughed weakly, and the three others looked at her worriedly. "Seriously, though, I'm fine. Just a concussion and some blood loss." Summer hoped that Macy wouldn't try over doing herself in the next few days, but knowing her friend, she would be training tomorrow.

"Dude, you're bleeding." Summer followed Will's pointing finger to the giant stain on Zach's orange Camp Halfblood t-shirt.

"Nah, it's um," He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, glancing sideways at Macy. "It's not mine."

Macy scowled, remembering an unpleasant memory. "When I woke up, he was legitimately carrying me into the infirmary. I would have preferred to have been left in the woods."

"Next time I _will_ leave you in the woods." Zach's eyebrows narrowed and he stood up, making his way out of the infirmary.

Will nudged Summer, smirking in Macy's direction. "Glad to see that those two are as friendly as ever."

Summer giggled, wondering how far she could push her friend. "I don't know, I think it's kind of cute that he carried her all the way back to camp."

Will's grin got wider while Macy's frown deepened. "Tell anyone else about this and you will regret it," The brunette seethed, curling her fingers around the edge of the bed as if she was struggling to contain herself.

"Come on Summer, let's let Macy dream about her knight in shinning armor in peace." She let Will pull her out of the infirmary, leaving Macy shouting curses at them as they left.

* * *

Summer woke up earlier than usual the next morning, and it took her a few minutes of staring at the bunk above her before she realized why. She was _cold._ It dawned on Summer that she woke up because she was cold, and the thin sheet that usually kept her warm felt threadbare. Now, that wouldn't be unusual in normal circumstances, but Camp Halfblood was not a normal place. The magical boundaries that protected the camp from monsters protected them from other things too, like bad weather. The sun was always shining and it was always a warm temperature, unless the kids who stayed year round at camp wanted to have some fun in the snow.

A cool breeze lifted her blonde hair as she exited the cabin, and she looked up at the sky. There was nothing wrong with the sun, it looked like it always did, but it seemed to lack its usual warmth that Summer felt as the daughter of Apollo.

She made her way over to the Hermes cabin, knocking softly at the door in an attempt to wake Will. When nobody answered, she rapped harder on the wood and it opened suddenly. A sleepy Will answered the door, his short hair slightly ruffled from sleep, and Summer tried not to stare when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Summer?" He mumbled, blinking his eyes twice as if he didn't believe she was actually there.

She looked around camp, realizing that no other campers were around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was this early…"

Will blinked in response, clearly still half asleep. She apologized and turned to head back to her cabin, but a new voice called out. "Summer, wait."

Jasper exited the cabin, looking as if he had been up for hours. Will muttered something unintelligible before shutting the door, presumably heading back to bed.

"He's not much of a morning person, is he?" Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all." The corner of Summer's lips turned up as she remembered all the times Will had fallen asleep during breakfast. The reason she had gone to the Hermes in the first place came back to her, and she figured she could just talk to Jasper instead of Will. "Does it seem unusually cold to you?"

Jasper looked at her funny. "No, why? Are you cold?" He looked up at the shining sun and then at her shorts and t-shirt, as if proving a point.

She shrugged, feeling stupid for asking. "No, nevermind."

"I'm not going to judge you for feeling cold, you know," Jasper grinned and leaned closer. "I just think it's funny that a daughter of the sun god is _cold." _

"I'm not cold!" Summer protested, attempting to keep down a blush as she noticed the shrinking distance between them. Jasper's eyes seemed bluer than they had before, and she had to look away before he noticed her staring. His smile got wider as if he knew what she was thinking and he grabbed her hand, leading her away from the Hermes cabin.

"Come on, maybe if we go down to the beach you'll get warmed up."

Will Meyers

When Summer first complained about the change in temperature at camp, Will thought she was going crazy. It was until a few days later when he had to search in his messy drawers for a long sleeved shirt that he realized she was right.

The temperature seemed to drop lower each night, and it had gone from slightly annoying to mildly concerning. He didn't mind the cold, but the Apollo cabin wouldn't stop complaining to Chiron about the "broken weather". At this time of year, camp was usually still in the 80s, but now the temperature had dropped to the 60s.

"It's not even that cold." Macy insisted as they messed around on the volleyball courts, a Band-Aid still plastered on her forehead. It looked dumb, but if anyone could pull it off, it was Macy.

"Speak for yourself. There's a reason why I stay at camp all year round instead of going back to Vermont for the winter to live with my mom." Summer spoke with an edge to her voice as she hit the ball back to Will's side of the court. Both Will and Macy knew the weather wasn't the only reason Summer stayed at camp all year, but neither of them had the heart to say anything.

Jasper jogged up to the court, his face impassive. Will glanced over at Summer and fought the urge to roll his eyes when he saw her grin and tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

"Chiron wanted me to come get you guys, he called a meeting with all the head counselors." Jasper looked at Macy and Will specifically, both whom were the head of their cabin.

Macy turned to Will with a surprised look. "Our next meeting isn't supposed to be scheduled for a few weeks." Will shrugged in response and bit his lip in confusion. He waved goodbye to Summer and gave his half brother a nod of thanks before heading toward the Big House. He couldn't help but look back, noticing the way Summer has looped her arm around Jasper's as the two walked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Chiron cleared his throat, signaling that he was about to speak. The head counselors immediately stopped talking among themselves and turned their attention toward the Centaur.

"I've called you all here today because I've received some, ah, _concerning_ news from Olympus," Chiron paused, and Will leaned forward in anticipation. "It seems that Apollo has…gone missing."

The head counselors were silent, taken aback by the news, until Lila from the Apollo cabin spoke up. "My dad is _missing_?" Her blue eyes were confused and she played with the ends of her hair nervously.

"What do you mean by missing? Are you sure he hasn't just gotten distracted again by some pretty super model?" Hank from the Hephaestus cabin scoffed, earning a glare from Lila.

Chiron countered Hank's accusation with a sigh, "The Olympians can no longer feel his presence. It's as if he has disappeared."

The Athena cabin's head counselor Shannon spoke quietly, scrunching her eyebrows as she pondered Chiron's news. "That would explain the decrease in temperature. It's not a problem now, but if Apollo doesn't get back to pulling the sun chariot every morning its only going to get colder."

"We need a quest," Zach spoke with authority, "to find Apollo."

"I'll go." Lila said immediately, her voice shaking slightly. "He's my father, I'll lead the quest."

Chiron shook his head. "You went on a quest last Summer, Lila. You are brave, but it is no longer your time."

Will wanted to claim the quest, but something made him hesitate. He had never been outside of camp since he arrived except for once, when he and Macy foolishly snuck out to explore New York.

"I'll go," Macy stood up, beating Will to the punch. "It doesn't have to be a child of Apollo. I can lead the quest." She crossed her arms, as if daring anyone else to speak up.

"Any objections?" Chiron spoke, looking around the table at each camper. Everyone stayed silent. Zach's eyes flickered strangely, but Will was never good with reading other people's emotions. He was, as Macy and Summer would put it, blissfully oblivious.

"Very well. Macy, go visit the Oracle."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Macy Mitchell

Macy ascended the stairs to the attic, ignoring the creaks and groans of the wood stairs beneath her feet. She paused in the door way, her eyes surveying the clutter that filled the attic. The daughter of Ares had been up here many times before, but never to receive a prophecy from the oracle.

The old and withering mummy had its back to Macy, resting on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. She picked her way through the attic until she stood in front of the oracle. Feelings of doubt began to creep up, overtaking the brave façade she always put on, but she took a deep breath and tried to ignore her fear.

Macy had only really been outside of camp once since she arrived. There were plenty of times that Chiron had sent her, Zach, and a few others to intercept a monster that was getting too close to camp, but that was different than living out in the mortal world like the summer campers did every winter. A few years ago, her and Will had snuck out of camp to visit New York City, but they ended up being chased by so many monsters that they returned to camp beat up and frightened and were sentenced to dish duty for an entire month.

Now, Macy was ready. It was her turn to prove herself to Chiron, the other campers, and most importantly, her father.

"I've come for a quest." She spoke directly to the mummy in front of her. The oracle remained still for a moment, and the icy doubt began to creep back up Macy's spine. What if she wasn't the one destined to lead the quest? She held her breath, not daring to do anything that would interrupt the stillness of the attic.

The oracle's dead eyes opened as it sat up straight. Green smoke exited its mouth as it spoke the words that Macy wouldn't forget for a long time.

_Five shall go North to free the gods' light,_

_Weakened and trapped by a storm of white._

_Betrayal by the secret of one_

_Wanes the strength of the daughter of sun._

_Strength and storm unite, but are lost._

_Alone, one will stand against the frost._

As soon as the last word was uttered, the oracle fell back into its chair and all was still again. The green smoke had completely dissipated, but the image was burned in Macy's brain forever.

She walked down the steps, surprised to find that her legs were shaking. As she entered the meeting room, she was surprised to find Zach standing there, alone. The other counselors had apparently dispersed, and Macy began to wonder how long she was in the attic for. As the two locked eyes, she was suddenly aware of her sweaty hands and wide eyed expression. When Chiron and Will entered the room she turned her gaze toward them, but she could still feel Zach's curious green eyes on her.

Chiron gave her a nod, "My dear, did you get a prophecy?"

Macy nodded, her words failing her. After a few moments of silence in which Chiron and Zach stared at her expectantly, she began to recite the oracle's words.

"Five shall go North to free the gods' light, weakened and-"

"Five?" Zach cut in with a frown, and Chiron gave him a glare that could have silenced even Macy. The brunette recited the rest of the prophecy, only to be met with frowns.

Chiron spoke up first, a concerned look present on his face. "I admit, five on a quest does sound concerning, but if the prophecy calls for it, so it shall be. A daughter of Apollo is directly mentioned-"

"Summer," Macy announced. "I want to bring Summer." She knew she was being selfish, since the line about the daughter of the sun didn't sound too great, but she needed her best friend. Besides, she knew Summer would say yes. She would kill Macy if she was left behind again.

Zach stepped forward, his eyes blazing as he locked eyes with Macy. "I'll go."

Will gave him a sideways glare and stepped forward to match Zach. "I'm coming, too."

Macy wanted to argue, but for once she managed to hold her tongue. As much as it would be difficult for her to work with Zach, he was one of the best fighters in camp and she needed him. Will was a no-brainer; She needed her two best friends if she was going to make it through the quest without going insane. There was only one spot left to fill, and Macy knew that both Will and Zach wouldn't like her suggestion.

"I'm going to take Jasper." Macy crossed her arms, daring the boys to argue. Both looked like they wanted to protest, and even Chiron looked confused.

"He's proven that he can fight," She looked pointedly at Will, who glanced away with an annoyed expression, "And he has the most experience out of any of us with monsters and the outside world." What she didn't say was that she didn't trust Jasper, but that was one of the reasons she wanted him on the quest. This way she could keep an eye on him while having another good fighter on their team.

"Very well," Chiron sighed. Macy wondered exactly how many prophecies he had heard and how many times he sent campers off on quests, wondering who would come back alive. "Go inform Summer and Jasper. You leave at first thing tomorrow, at dawn."

Zach Maxwell

He didn't know exactly what made him volunteer for the quest. Maybe it was his stupid need to always be the hero, or maybe he just wanted to impress his father. He didn't know if that tugging feeling in his gut when he locked eyes with Macy meant that this was his destiny or whatever, but he couldn't help but be slightly annoyed. There were plenty of campers who were qualified to lead this quest, but it had to be _Macy_. Couldn't his destiny be something else?

Honestly, he was surprised when she didn't protest to him being a quest member. The two had gotten along worse, if possible, ever since she got hurt during capture the flag. Macy was too stubborn for her own good and wouldn't stop training to let her concussion heal. It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt every time he saw her grit her teeth in annoyance when she reopened the stitches on her forehead during training.

But the guilt went away just as quickly whenever she focused her glare on him or made some dumb comment to get under his skin. Couldn't she give it a rest?

Zach began shoving clothes in his back pack. The sky was still dark, but he knew it would only be a few minutes until the sun started peaking over the hill. After a moments hesitation he shoved some warmer clothes in his bag too, not knowing what the weather would be like on their journey.

He made his way over to the biggest tree on the camp border, their designated meeting spot. Macy and Summer sat on the ground by the tree in silence.

"There you are," The brunette scowled, cleaning one of her already shining knives with a small cloth. Summer looked at Macy's hands warily.

Zach made a sour face, but didn't bother to respond. Macy looked wide awake and ready for a fight, and he just wasn't in the mood. Will and Jasper walked up, the former looking as if he was dead on his feet. One of the girls had thrown a light hearted joke at Will, but Zach wasn't paying much attention. He was too busy thinking about the prophecy.

Chiron had warned him that most prophecies were completely ambiguous and useless to dwell on until its predictions came true, but Zach couldn't help focus on how bad the prophecy sounded.

_Five shall go North to free the gods' light_. It was clear that the gods' light was Apollo, but that was the only thing he could understand. Someone in the group had a secret that would some how affect Summer. He didn't know if Macy had mentioned that line of the prophecy to her, so he figured it was best not to bring it up. There was nothing in the prophecy that hinted at if they would fail or succeed, and that drove him crazy. He just hoped that everyone would return alive.

"It is time, halfbloods." Chiron galloped over to the group, his voice steady but eyes emotional. "You must find Apollo by the Summer solstice or we may be plagued infinite winter." Summer let out a squeak, and Jasper grabbed her hand in comfort.

"We head North, like the prophecy says. Maybe try to find Artemis and the Hunters. She might have an idea of what happened to her brother." Macy bit her lip, looking to Chiron for assurance.

He nodded in agreement, looking thoughtful, "Last I heard from the Hunters, they were in Boston. That sounds like a good place to start."

Macy nodded her thanks, and Chiron wished them luck before turning back toward camp without looking back.

"There's a bus we can take from Hempstead to Boston. We'll have to walk or hitch a ride to the bus stop, but we can probably get there by tonight." Will spoke up, catching Zach by surprise. His face looked miserable, and judging by Macy and Summer's sympathetic glances, his expression had more to do with the prospect of going to Boston than it did waking up early.

They crossed the boundary and headed away from camp into the forest. The plan was to cross through the forest and reach the nearest highway. Zach wasn't sure how a pack of five demigods would be able to hitch hike, but it was either that or walk to the bus station, which he didn't find very appealing.

As they entered the forest, Zach instinctively reach toward the silver sword looped through his belt. He hoped they wouldn't attract any monsters in the half hour walk through the woods, but the smell of him alone, a child of the big three, was enough to attract more than one.

He glanced behind him to see Summer and Will taking up the rear, whispering quietly. Jasper walked beside Zach, looking slightly annoyed with the two behind him. Macy took the lead, twirling a knife between her fingers. She looked relaxed, but Zach knew she was ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Her knives didn't exactly look inviting, but Zach felt that anything would be better than walking next to Jasper.

He jogged forward until he matched her pace. Macy's dark eyes flickered over to meet his and she gave him a strange look, but remained silent.

"How's your head holding up?" Zach broke the silence. She was no longer wearing her bandage, so he could see the scar that ran across her pretty face. He wasn't exactly trying to get on her nerves, but he could contain the smug smile that made its way on his face when Macy frowned in annoyance.

"Why do you care?" The brunette's face was twisted into a deep frown. She kept her gaze forward and continued to twirl her knives, making Zach take a small step away from her.

"Well you can't lead our quest if you're going to be passing out in the middle of a battle," Zach rolled his eyes even though he knew she wasn't looking.

She snapped at him, and Zach was almost certain she would pull a knife on him by the fire in her eyes. "I'm fine, let it go."

He pretended not to notice how she subconsciously reached up to trace the stitches on her forehead. Zach didn't realize that the cut was so deep and he almost wished he had given the Hecate kid a harder time. Grudgingly, he gained a little respect for Macy. If she was light enough to be thrown into a tree with such force, then she must put a lot of effort into being as good as she was at hand to hand combat. Hell, she was more than half a foot shorter than him and was able to tackle him to the ground.

Zach kept his mouth shut and turned his head to check on the others. Summer and Will were still lagging behind, but Jasper was right behind him. The dark haired son of Hermes was looking at Macy with such intense curiously that it gave Zach chills, and he quickly faced forward again.

They walked in silence for a short while longer before the trees began to thin out and the ground sloped sharply downward. Zach felt the hair on his neck stand up, but he couldn't figure out why.

Summer caught up to Macy and Zach, a bright smile on her face when she saw the road at the bottom of the hill. "We actually made it through without any incidents. I-"

Her words died in her throat as looked at something behind him. Zach turned around to see not one, but two massive hellhounds bounding toward them at full speed.


End file.
